HIKUTAIA QUARRY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4513, 10 January 1923, Page 2

HIKUTAIA QUARRY

MEANS OF WORKING. DISCUSSED BY 7 COUNCIL. Considerable discussion on the Hikutaia quarry arose at the Hauraki Plains County Council meeting on Monday put of the engineer’s report. The quarry can turn out at least 40 yards of metal a day with the present plant, and t;lie trial shipment had proved a success. Members were' of the opinion that two or three shifts a day should be employed. At a previous meeting ofi the Council the engineer was instructed to go on with the construction of a hopper if the trial shipment proved satisfactory. Or. Hayward suggseted that the work be now gone on with, but the engineer said it may be impossible to erect a hopped owing to the lay of tihe land and that a chute may be necessary, but that would probably man that punts could only work according to the tide. In reply to Cr. Mayn the engineer stated that it would not be practicable to elevate the tramline at the present site so that, a hopper could be built. Cr. McLoughlin moved that the engineer be instructed to prepare estimates of the.cost of a tramline from the quarry to the stream and submit, them to the next meeting. Cr. Harris said ail this! costs money and the whole of the loan of £lO,OOO must not be spent at Hikutaia, as there were quarries on the Plains that must be opened up. Cr. Mayn said that money must be spent tp get a return firom the large sum already spent. Other quarries were not in such an advanced state as Hikutaia. Cr. Harris agreed, but contended that the Waitakaruru quarry should not. be lost sight of, as a portable crusher was all that was needed there. The chairman stated that ample money would remain after Hikutaia was developed for other quarries. The loan also provides for the cost of distributing the metal, and Cr. Hare said that the amount required need no- be very large if rails were used, and rails could be largely used. Cr. Mayn said Netherton ratepayers should raise a loan and metal their roads to enable full use being made of the quarry. ’ Cr. Hare: We must get the inoney somehow. Cr. McLoughlin stated'that Netherton and Turua had money voted for roads, yet councillors withput money voted to put obstacles in the way of the quarry. Cr. Harris sa'd he was not putting obstacles, in the way, but fully supported the Hikutaia quarry. Neverthe less, the Waitakaruru quarry would be necessary, and adequate provision must be made iso that money ■would be available. Cr. Hayward pointed out that there were other instalments of ,the loan due and that they should have nothing to fear as there should be ample for all. The chairman stated that after the engineer had made his estimates the Council wpuld.be better able to discuss the matter. The engineer stated that it would be some time before the quarry was developed, and in the meantime som; other arrangement's must be made for obtaining metal. He suggested river shingle, Purrri stone, or gaol metal from Auckland. If he crossed the road with a tramline a site for a hopper may be available. A hopped should be big enough to hold at least two punt-loads of metal, so that should the stream permit it. would be possible for the launch to take two punts l at once, with a minimum delay for loading. Cr. Mayn queried whether, in tljg. event of the engineer increasing the output, Turua and Netherlon ridings had the necessary funds to pay for the metal. The chairman said thiey had. There was, approximately £4600 loan money and what .was left out of rates after commitments. Cr. Hayward stated that they would be doing well if all the lean money was spent before the summer was over, and stressed .that the Council must be ready for next summer. The engineer stated that under present conditions metal would cost 17s 6d a yard. There was no trouble in shifting all the metal broken, and it would be best to work all winter and dump metal on the Plains side of the river.